A good half of adult humanity - both men and women - face the problem of baldness, or at least feel discomfort because of the rare and weak hair. This is not just a matter of beauty - hair are an important part of our body, and dropping, they either send us greetings from their ancestors, or trigger an alarm from the unhealthy body.

Hair is a characteristic feature of mammals, not inherent for other animals. The development of hair is different not only from different mammals, but also varies in different parts of the body of one individual. The man in this respect differs only that compared with other primates he has the least hair.

Abnormal hair loss - baldness (alopecia) - can be caused by various conditions, including burns, scars and skin exposure to radiation. In severe infections (scarlet fever, typhoid, skin diseases) baldness can also be, but usually temporary. The most common type of alopecia is the gradual disappearance of hair on the head, which occurs with age in most men.

Such hair loss believed irreversible and final. The hair growth can not be recovered nor haircut, nor shave (as is sometimes believed), walking with their heads uncovered, rubbing ointments or other drugs.

Practically found that baldness is associated with heredity that is, transferred by gene, activation of which depends on gender. Such a hypothesis put forward Hippocrates. If the gene is present, then the second condition for the development of baldness is a sufficient number of male sex hormone testosterone, which stimulates the growth of body hair and slows their growth on the head.

Although testosterone is produced in all men but only one third of them suffer from hair loss that may be just due to genetic information obtained by a person at conception. In 70-72 percent of cases baldness is inherited through the maternal line: the mother passes the gene pattern baldness from her father to her son.

Signs of hair loss in most men appear to thirty years, in the form of bald patches on the head. Speed the process of hair loss can vary; there are also long periods of relative stability. As a rule, the sooner the first signs of baldness, the faster the almost complete loss of hair.

All of the above does not apply to such skin disorders like local alopecia, which leads to partial or complete baldness. When alopecia, although the disease may last several months, as a rule, normal hair growth restores.

All people lose hair, but some people, this process is slow, and even in old age they have something to show off, while others almost 25 years of age comes the rapid hair loss. Why? Scientists believe that hair loss is caused by the following main reasons.

Male hormones

One man out of three suffers from abnormal hair loss, and it is initiated by testosterone - the male sex hormone. The fact that every third man has increased sensitivity of hair to one of species of testosterone - dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Increased sensitivity to DHT causes thinning and hair loss.

True, scientists soothe balding men alleged that the loss of hair they have rewarded with increased sexuality. In 1942, Dr. James Hamilton discovered and proved the relationship between hair loss and generation of male sex hormones, including testosterone. Increased testosterone levels lead to increased growth of hair on the chest, back and face, but the head hair decreases. If testosterone levels are reduced, then terminated also the loss of hair on his head. However, at the same time the libido reduced.

Dr. Hamilton put it, quite categorically: stop hair loss is only possible through castration. While here he was not the first, as more than two thousand years before him, Aristotle wrote: "Only the eunuchs did not lose their hair."

Shock and stress

Constant stress can also start the process of hair loss. Even a strong emotional experience, carried the shock can occur after several months as hair loss. The reason is the increase in testosterone levels and norepinephrine levels that are produced by the adrenal glands as a reaction to stress.

Prolonged stress, as well as a brief but strong, start the burning of B vitamins, in particular, PABA - "vitamin of beauty". Therefore, for treatment in this case, we recommend taking vitamins and mineral substances, as well as psychotherapy (psychoanalysis).

Thyroid gland

Cause of excessive hair loss may be hyperactive thyroid gland or, conversely, its dysfunction. It always has been a violation of the endocrine system as a whole. For cure in this case it is necessary to restore the hormonal imbalance.

Hair loss as a symptom of the disease

The poor condition of the hair may not only be evidence of the natural aging or individual genetic characteristics, but also a symptom of the disease. Here are just a short list of diseases that can lead to the weakening and loss of hair:

diabetes mellitus;

thymus disease;

osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;

anemia;

imbalance of sex hormones in women;

exhaustion of the nervous system;

vegetative dystonia;

some tumor diseases;

radiation sickness.

And besides: chronic stress and inadequate (incorrect, irrational) food, thallium poisoning, radionuclides, heavy metals. All this can also affect the condition of hair. Also, however, as irradiation, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, and pregnancy.

Smoking

Besides the fact that smoking contributes to the development of some diseases and health problems, it also threatens male premature baldness. The link between smoking and hair loss has been founded by scientists that examined 740 people of Taiwan at the age of 65 years.

Researchers analyzed data on age at first hair loss, risk factors that could affect hair loss, as well as the presence of smoking habits. The study showed that male smokers alopecia occurred much earlier and was faster than nonsmokers.

Baldness genes

Recently one more baldness gene was founded, which is passed only through the male line. As you may recall, earlier spoke of another gene, which is transmitted through the maternal line. Scientists believe that genetic causes are responsible for more than 80% cases of baldness.

Newly discovered gene is located in the 20th chromosome, and increases the likelihood of baldness in men seven times. If a man has two genes - in the X chromosome and in the 20th chromosome, the probability of baldness increases 14 times.

So far, the scientists recommend men against baldness only preventive measures. Although they believe that genetic research will help create a future effective remedy against hair loss.

Doctors also believe that early hair loss is not only a sign of male hypersexuality, but also the indicator of exposure to heart disease developing. Depending on the place of appearance of baldness can be distinguished several types of baldness.

The first group includes those men who have hair line begins to recede from the forehead. For men of this category, risk of cardiovascular disease is the same as in carriers of lush hair.

The second group includes men with an average degree of baldness, with a small amount of hair on top and sides of the head. Compared with the first group, they have higher risk of heart attack in half. The latter group includes men who has completely bald pate, and the sides still has a small amount of hair. In this group, heart attacks occur in three and a half times more often.

The fact that the levels of male hormones - testosterone and DHT - are closely linked not only with the condition of hair, but also with blood pressure and cholesterol in the blood. Fluctuations in the level of sex hormones affect the entire endocrine system and, in particular, may indirectly cause the development of pathological processes in the cardiovascular system.

Perhaps the most radical method of preventing further problems is the restoration of the endocrine imbalance of the male body with alopecia. Not the fact that it will help you to restore hair, but you can win in another...